Take-up block arrangement



Dec. 10, 1968 A. J- MACKNICK TAKEUP BLOCK ARRANGEMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.

mm mm mw mm mm v NH mm K mm m mu V w l /J m a L A Attorney Dec. 10, 1968 A. J. MACKNICK E-UP BLOCK ARRANGEMENT TAK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1967 HVVENTOH ALBERT J. MAC/(N/CK Afro/nay A- J. MACKNICK TAKE-UP BLOCK ARRANGEMENT Dec. 10, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 2, 1967 INVENTOR fiLEE'RTJ. MAC/(NICK B W Attorney United States Patent 3,415,460 TAKE-UP BLOCK ARRANGEMENT Albert J. Macknick, North Chicago, 11]., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 2, 1967, Ser. No. 613,475

3 Claims. (Cl. 242-84) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Capacity of take-up block having radial retaining fingers of fixed length and limited radial movement is increased by slidably fitting shoes on the distal ends of the fingers and connecting the shoes with the take-up block levers. The levers are each slidably connected by opposite ends to a shoe and to the take-up block; and pivotally connected inter-mediate their ends to the finger on which the lever-associated shoe is fitted. The levers extend the shoes beyond the distal ends of the fingers on movement of the fingers radially outward of the take-up block.

The present invention relates generally to equipment for processing wire or other filamentary material and, more particularly, to an improved means for readily increasing the capacity of pre-existing take-up blocks.

Take-up blocks commonly used for coiling wire being continuously processed usually include a drum having a circumferential ledge or load-bearing surface and a radially extending flange extending circumferentially along one edge of the ledge. A plurality of spaced, radially extending retaining fingers are slidably disposed in the outer face of the drum opposite the edge on which the flange is formed. The take-up block mechanism includes means for projecting and retracting the retaining fingers radially of the take-up block drum. The fingers are capable of being projected to a position where the distal ends thereof are substantially co-planar with the upper edge of the take-up block flange so as to form a trough bounded by the spaced retaining fingers on one side, the drum flange on the other, and the circumferential load-bearing surface of the take-up block drum on the bottom, for receiving the wire to be coiled. The retaining fingers are retracted inwardly to clear the circumferential load-bearing surface of the drum of the take-up block when it is desired to remove the coiled wire from the block.

When it was desired to increase the size of coils of wire formed on the take-up block so as to achieve economies possible through the use of larger wire coils prior to my invention, it was necessary to substantially rebuild the ta ke-up block at considerable expense. This was necessary since the retaining fingers were of a fixed length and were limited in the amount of radial movement they were capable of. Even though the height of the circumferential flange on the drum could be increased relatively easily by welding a peripheral ring thereon, the retaining fingers could not be lengthened nor could their limit of radial movement be increased because of the fixed diameter of the take-up block drum and the finger-moving means, which was usually a cam plate mounted on the drum.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of my invention to provide a simple and inexpensive adjusting means for increasing the capacity of presently existing take-up blocks of the type described above.

It is a more specialized object of my invention to provide a means for increasing the capacity of a take-up block having a circumferential radially extending flange on one edge and radially extending retaining fingers spaced opposite the flange by slidably fitting shoes over the distal end of the fingers and slidably connecting a lever by one end to each of the shoes and by its other end to 3,415,460 Patented Dec. 10, 1968 the take-up block drum; and pivotally connecting each of the levers intermediate its ends to the finger on which its associated shoe is fitted whereby the levers extend the shoes on the fingers beyond the distal ends of the fingers to a level co-planar with the upper edge of the take-up block flange on movement of the fingers to projected position.

The above and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view with parts broken away for clarity of a take-up block provided with the structural arrangement of the invention showing the retaining fingers of the take-up block in projected positions;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the vertical centerline of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the retaining fingers in retracted position;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the vertical centerline of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional and elevational view taken substantially along the line VV of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line VII-VII of FIGURE 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference.

numeral 2 designates generally a take-up block having the capacity-increasing means of the invention incorporated therein. The take-up block 2 is mounted, by means of a bearing 4, on the end of a driven shaft 6 and retained thereon by means of a cap 8 and retaining rings 9 and 10. The take-up block 2 includes a hub 12 and a drum 14 mounted for rotation with the hub 12. Drum 14 is formed with a circumferential ledge or load-bearing surface 15 and a radially extending flange 16 which extends circumferentially around one edge of the ledge or surface 15.

A plurality of spaced, radially extending retaining fingers 18 are slidably fiitted in guide ways 20 on the forward face of the drum 14. Each of the fingers 18 is provided with a straight body portion 22 which extends radially of the drum 14, a load-bearing surface 24 extending normal to the end of the portion 22, and an upright portion 26 at the outer end of the load bearing surface 24. Each of the fingers 18 is connected with the drum 14 by means of a pin 28 which projects from the finger adjacent its inner end and has a roller 29 thereon which fits rotatably in an elongated slot 30 in the body portion of the drum 14 to permit slidable radial movement of the fingers relative to the drum.

A cam plate 32 is mounted on the hub 12 adjacent to the face of the drum 14 and is formed with arcuate slots 34 which provide cam surfaces for rollers 35 on the pins 28 in each of the retaining fingers 181. Partial rotation of the cam plate 32 by means of two spaced handles 36 and 36' afiixed thereto, projects or retracts the fingers 18, as best shown in FIGURES 1 and 3.

The apparatus thus far described is conventional and is not claimed as my invention, the details of which will now be described.

A shoe 38 formed with a T-shaped interior opening is slidably fitted on the end of the upright portion 26 of each of the fingers 18. The shoe-receiving end of the end 26 of each finger is of T-shaped configuration corresponding to the interior of the shoe. A lever 40 having an olfset end 41 welded theretois pivotally connected intermediate its ends to a block extension 42 on each of the fingers 18 by means of a pin 44. The offset end 41 of each of the levers 40 is provided with a slot 46 which engages a rigid pin 48 which projects from a cut-out portion 50 on the outer surface of each of the shoes 38. The opposite end of each of the levers 40 is slidably connected to the drum 14 by means of a pin 52 which is slidably fitted in a slot 54 of a block 56 affixed to the underside of an extension 15' of. the (1mm ledge 15 adjacent the outer face of the drum 14, as best shown in FIGURE 7. A roller 60 is provided on the inner end of each of the pins 52 which rolls along the underside of the ledge extension 15' to facilitate sliding movement of the pin 52 in the slot 54.

In operation, the handles 36 and 36' are rasped and the cam plate 32 is rotated in clockwise direction to project the retaining fingers radially of the drum 14 and adjust the take-up block to wire-receiving position, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. As the fingers move radially to projected position, the levers 40 extend the shoes 38 on the fingers 18 beyond the distal ends of the fingers to a level where the distal ends of the shoes are substantially co-planar with the outer edge of the flange 16- so that a trough '62 is formed around the periphery of the take-up block with a continuous inner wall made up of the flange 16, an intermittent outer wall formed by the shoes 38 and a spaced bottom load-bearing surface formed by the ledge 15, extension 15' and the bearing surfaces 24 of the fingers 18.

After the wire has been coiled on the take-up block, the handles of the cam plate 32 are again manipulated to rotate the cam plate in counter-clockwise direction to retract the fingers and shoes to a level clear of the ledge 15 and extension 15' of the drum 14 so that the coil may be stripped from the take-up block.

Although I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim: A

1. In a take-up block including a drum, a radially extending circumferential flange on one edge of said drum, a radially extending finger slidably disposed on the face of said drum opposite said one edge, means on said drum connected with said finger for moving said finger radially of said drum to and from a position in which the radially distal end of said finger extends radially outwardly of said edge and short of the outer edge of said flange wherein the improvement comprises a shoe slidably mounted on the radially distal end of said finger, a lever slidably connected by one end to said shoe, the opposite end of said lever being slidably connected to said drum, said lever being pivoted intermediate its ends to said finger where-by said lever extends said shoe on said finger beyond the radially distal end of said finger on movement of said finger to said position.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said one end of said lever is connected with said shoe by means of a pin-and-slot connection.

3. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said opposite end of said lever is connected with said drum by means of a pin-and-slot connection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 292,610 1/18 84 Young 242-84 409,940 8/1889 Duffy 242-110.1 464,234 12/1891 Weeks 24284 1,823,990 9/ 1931 Sanderson 24284 FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

NATHAN L. MINTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

